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Melonee Gaines 

Communications and Social Media maven

Founder and CEO Melonee Gaines has worked for over 10 years in digital marketing and communications, journalism, content creation, event coordination, outreach and public relations and integrated those skills with film festivals such as Patois Film Festival in New Orleans, Indie Memphis, International Black Film Festival of Nashville, Nashville Film Festival, and most notably, American Black Film Festival.

Experience and Affiliations

2007-2009 Patois Film Festival 

  • Advisory council and programming partner

2007-2009 Programming Coordinator, Center for African and African American Studies

  • Secured, marketed, and managed Molefi Asante Jr. film screening and talkback

  • Secured, marketed, and managed Amiri Baraka "In Conversation

  • Tournees Film Festival screening site manager

2010-2015 American Black Film Festival, Social Media coordinator

  • Increased reach and engagement and event-based monitoring and response

  • Implemented content management systems for cross-platform integration and increased SEO and reach

  • Assisted with press check-in, red carpets, interview room, photo studio, talent coordinator

  • Wrangled industry executives, festival ambassador, and board members, and influencers at key events

2010-2015 International Black Film Festival of Nashville

  • Interviewed industry executives and filmmakers for Hot Sheet

  • Film submssion evaluator

2013-2015 Naturals In the City webseries

  • Director, producer for original webseries

  • Lead social media and PR strategist for webseries

2016-present American Black Film Festival

  • PR manager for press check-in, red carpets, interview room, photo studio

  • Coordinated and wrangled industry executives, festival ambassador, and board members, and influencers at key events and aligning interview schedules

2017 Essence presents "My City 4 Ways" Memphis: Public Relations assistant

  • Press and ticket holder check-in

  • Sponsor relations

  • Audience engagement

  • Local social media strategy

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